Senior Researcher on the Effects of Manure Policy on Agricultural Operations

Are you someone who feels completely at home in the world of agriculture and monitoring networks? Have you always wanted to work on improving the business operations of agricultural entrepreneurs and enhancing water quality?

Wageningen Social & Economic Research is looking for a Senior Researcher on the Effects of Manure Policy on Agricultural Business Operations who will be responsible for the organization, management, and quality of the monitoring network.

In this position, you will be the key contact for managing the monitoring network, interpreting the results from panel data, and translating them into valuable insights for governments, sector organizations, and agricultural businesses. Your expertise is crucial for the National Monitoring Network on the Effects of Manure Policy (LMM). In addition to these tasks, you will contribute to projects that explore the relationship between agriculture, the environment, and nature. This involves collaboration with other departments of Wageningen University & Research and external knowledge partners.

As a Senior Researcher, you will play a vital role within the Performance & Impact Agrosectors expertise group. This group is made up of passionate professionals committed to sustainable agriculture and a thriving rural area. Within this group, economic sector studies are conducted for governments, sector organizations, and businesses, offering independent advice based on scientific knowledge. The projects you’ll work on are highly diverse, ranging from monitoring and scenario studies to measuring sustainability performance at sector and company level, as well as policy evaluations and explorations.

Would you like to use your knowledge and skills to contribute to sustainable agriculture and a healthy countryside? Apply now for the position of Senior Researcher on the Effects of Manure Policy at Wageningen Economic Research!

Your Contribution
In this role, you will take a leading position in managing the LMM project, with a specific focus on data.

Your responsibilities include:

• Coordinating and directing data-related aspects of the project
• Ensuring the quality of panel data and weighting methodologies
• Designing and managing samples for reliable analysis
• Performing data analysis and research to generate valuable insights
• Clearly and effectively reporting progress to clients and partners

We are looking for someone with:

• A completed Master's degree in agricultural economics, or in IT/Data Management with knowledge of the agricultural sector
• Knowledge of panel data analysis techniques and programming languages would be a strong asset
• A clear affinity with agriculture—especially arable farming or intensive livestock farming is essential for this role
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively with both internal and external stakeholders
• Proficiency in English at C1 level, as you’ll work in an international environment. If you don’t currently meet this level, you can take courses at Wageningen in’to Language
• A detail-oriented and analytically strong mindset, combined with a results- and relationship-driven approach
• Excellent communication skills in both Dutch and English, written and spoken.

We understand that you may not meet every single requirement, but if you bring solid work experience to the table, we still encourage you to apply. We offer plenty of challenges and development opportunities!

When it comes to employment conditions, Wageningen University & Research (WUR) offers an excellent package. Highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• Flexible working hours to support a healthy work-life balance
• The ability to work up to 40 hours per week to accrue extra vacation time
• Options for sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave
• A strong focus on vitality, including affordable access to sports facilities on campus
• The option to work from our offices in either The Hague or Wageningen
• A year-end bonus of 8.3%
• An excellent pension scheme via ABP

An initial one-year contract, with the possibility of a permanent position in the future

Of course, these excellent secondary benefits come with a competitive salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a market-based salary of up to €7,068 gross per month for a full-time position (36 hours per week), in accordance with Wageningen Research CAO, scale 12. A part-time appointment of 0.8 FTE is also negotiable.

Location: The Hague or Wageningen.

Wageningen University & Research supports internal career development and mobility through its internal recruitment policy. There’s ample room for personal initiative in a learning environment, with excellent training opportunities. You’ll be working in a dynamic international environment with a pleasant and open working culture.

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.